The Space Between Spaces
by American Vigor
Summary: Future Trunks is teleported to a weird place. But wait, what is another version of Trunks doing there too? Heroes from across time team up to stop unprecedented peril.


**The Space Between Spaces**

**- a Dragon Ball Z FanFiction -**

Starring: Future Trunks and Trunks Prime

**(It's a One-Shot!)**

_Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z, the glorious series it is, is not in any way a property I control. I can only wish to supplement its mystique with stories such as the one herein. The same is in regards to related characters, symbols, plot elements, etc._

_With that said, I hope you enjoy the story!_

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_Where am I?_

The Saiyan from the future awoke in a grand expanse of monochromatic white.

He called out, and there was no answer.

Then, a blinding flash of light appeared briefly in the distance. It was just as white as the white around him, but the luminescence of the light seared more powerfully than even that of a Solar Flare.

When he could see again, he darted into the distance.

After some travel, he came to the spot where the light had since dissipated.

There, on the ground, was him.

Literally, him, as in, another person that looked like, and for many intense purposes, was him.

Bewildered at the sight, Future Trunks looked at the boy who slept on the ground, his face so congruent to his, his hair shorter, but nonetheless of the same shade of lavender that was a distinguishing mark.

Before he could act further, his counterpart woke up.

_Where am I? _

That was the thought which crossed the other's mind.

And then he saw the other one, the one who looked so similar to him.

He had heard from his mother stories of the other. Was this he?

"Who are you?", asked the boy who just woke up.

"Well, I think you may know the answer. And no, I'm not some android freak designed to look like you."

"Android?"

"A horrid pestilence that once plagued the home I come from. I expect that is as well true in your case, although I may be mistaken."

The boy who had woken up last thought about the other's comments.

"Are you the other me who came from the future many years ago to help my dad and the others fight the androids?"

"That would be me. And you must be the version of me from the past who was just a little baby when I was off helping dad."

"Precisely."

"Did you know you once pulled on my hair, to the amusement of all in the room?"

"Heh. I was a toddler; it must have been funny. Weird, when you think of it, but funny."

"Indeed. But, I'm sorry to say the fact we're both here is no laughing matter. I was afraid of this."

"What do you mean?"

"Mother warned me … that is, our mother from the future, warned me that if we went ahead with our plan to use the time machine, the intense, shall we say, "stress" on the fabric of space and time from its use might cause a bending or merger of realities to occur."

"So, what does that mean?"

"It means that everything that has or ever will exist is in trouble of existing no more. But, there's a way to prevent that from happening. To help you become more familiar with our situation here, you should understand this: for every time I used the time machine, I created a series of alternate universes based upon a combination of whether or not my time machine appeared and any of the events that flowed from either its presence or absence. You seem to be the version of us I've labeled "Trunks Delta," or the fourth version of us whose existence became unique from other versions as a result of using the time machine. You're the one who was a baby when Cell came back from the future and started to wreck havoc. I'm "Trunks Beta," the second version of us, the one who traveled to the past to help defeat the androids and Cell and then traveled to the future to defeat Cell again. The first version of us, "Trunks Alpha," went back in time to defeat the androids in a time sequence where Cell had not traveled to the past. He was then killed by Cell in his future."

"Weird stuff."

"Certainly, but that's not all. You and I, Delta and Beta, are not unique in the fact that we existed simultaneously for a brief time. The same could be said of Alpha and the toddler version of yourself from the version of the past where Cell did not go back and it was just the other androids. That version I almost forgot about, so much so that I'd initially given you his code name and thought of you as the third. But, in actuality, it would be more proper to call him the real third version, or Trunks Gamma."

"So, I'm the fourth one and you're the second one?"

"That's correct."

"Like I said before, weird. How old are you, anyway?"

"By my years, I'm about 24."

"No way! I'm 19."

"Apparently, we didn't age much in that five-year span."

"Apparently."

"As interesting as that is, here's the bigger picture in all this. You see, the fact that the merger's taking place is bad. The universe isn't supposed to do that, and the fact it's doing it can throw off all of existence."

"Then why did we waste all that time talking, especially when time, I think more literally than ever, is of the essence?"

"Well Delta, … do you mind if I call you Delta?"

"Whatever man, just hurry up, what are you dawdling around for?"

"But that's just it, Delta. We have all the time we could ever need, infinite, in fact, to fix this problem."

"Say what, now?"

Everything's, shall you say, "frozen" out there, and fortunately, we're not there. "We're in this void right now; it's what Mother theorized as the Space Between Spaces. I didn't know where I was when I was first brought here as you also were, but then I realized what this must be. This void and the fact we're in it is but a part of the larger picture. You see, the universe, according to the Multiverse Theory, which Mother believes happens to be thing behind how it all works, produces an infinite number of other universes just from all the infinite possible sequences of outcomes from all the potential things that could possibly happen. Then, those others produce others, and they produce more, and so on."

"Uh, you lost me on most of that."

"Okay, let me put it in other terms. Whenever something happens, something else could have happened. The very fact that something else could have happened means that another universe is created where that thing did happen. And in that latter universe, the thing that happened in the first universe I was talking about did not happen. It's as simple as waving your hand. In universe A, you did. In universe B, you didn't. The difference between those two universes is that everything in them is exactly the same except for whether or not you waved your hand. And the movements of air molecules around your hand in relation to that, and the way they affect other molecules, and … well I could go on, but I think you're getting the picture. Anyway, take the infinite number of things that could possibly happen, take all the multiple universes created from all the different possible occurrences, and all the multiple universes created from all those multiples, and so on, and you've got something that seems to border on the edge of infinity."

"I'll say."

"Now, what I'm about to tell you is more to the point of why we're here. So, as I've explained, the universe and all the others, create multiple universes on their own. That's how it's done the natural way. Then, there's the unnatural way. I'm talking about time travel. From what Mother and I have gathered, the universe wasn't built for it to happen, but then again, it wasn't built for it not to happen, either. The universe doesn't automatically allow for time travel, although if you somehow managed to move at the speed of light, you could emulate the effect of going forward in time, although you could never go back that way. It fact, in the normal universe, you can't go back in time at all unless you're a subatomic particle."

"Then how did you do it?"

"Well, when Mother was tackling the issue, she thought about ways around the problem, you know how she is, never giving up. Saved us all, that determination of hers, you know. She realized that for time travel to work, she had to take advantage of a property of Multiverse Theory, and had to find a way to transport matter and energy outside the physical confines of the universes. Don't ask me how she did it, but she found a way to transfer matter and energy to a realm outside the universes, a realm that connects them together intrinsically. That's where we are right now, the Space Between Spaces. You might have noticed that you're not really standing on whatever it is you think you're standing on."

"It's a strange thing to explain, but yeah, I've been feeling that."

"You and me both. Anyway, when I've traveled through time, my time machine has always transported me here first, with all the matter and energy of me and my time machine included. Then, using some gizmos of unfathomable complexity that mother devised, I've continued on my journeys, to the past and forward. But back to the unnatural part, and why we're here. Well, many types of matter and energy aren't normally supposed to go back in time, and in any case, space and time aren't supposed to be bent under forces that didn't directly come from that process where multiple universes are normally created. Since traveling through time the unnatural way created multiple new universes unnaturally, we threw off all of reality a bit. We have all the time in the world to fix this, but if we don't play our cards right, it could all be over. And when I say "all" and when I say "over," I mean the extremes of each.

"Damn. We just defeated Majin Buu twelve years ago and now everything's going to be destroyed anyway."

"As I said, we can stop it. But wait, Majin who?"

"Some idiot we faced during my timeline. All that divergence stuff you're speaking about might explain why we fought him and why you've never heard of him. He might still be out there in your time; I'd be on the lookout. On another note, if there are so many multiple universes being created all the time, aren't there infinite versions of us? Me and you, Delta and, er, Beta?"

"Indeed, there are. But you and I are unique among them."

"Always good to be special. Explain how so."

"Well, all could have been lost had it not been for one very simple thing. It turns out that a very trivial action actually saved the entire fabric of space and time. And that same action has made us unique. You want to know what it was?"

"Yeah dude, spit it out already."

"When you pulled my hair all those relative years ago, you unwittingly saved it all."

"Wait, what, really?"

"Yes. And here's the reason Mother gave me as to why. The unnatural alterations to space and time caused by the time travel stressed the fabric of reality, but the full effects of those alterations on the space-time continuum, effects which would have ripped the darn thing apart, were, by design, not supposed to come to fruition right away. Mother says the shock from the unnatural alterations would have eventually destroyed everything had the matter and energy of every single universe out there been inherently dissimilar. But when you pulled my hair, a very special, unprecedented event occurred in which the matter and energy in both you and me synchronized permanently at a level that Mother was only able to theorize, but was not able to properly describe in words. And both of us, because of the specific matter and energy affected when we came into contact with one another and how that affected reality, are the originals from that moment, the original versions of the infinite Betas and Deltas out there. Mother theorized that when space and time would have ripped apart, it did not because of our synchronized matter and energy, which formed a commonality among the unnaturalness that prevented the collapse from happening. Everything in the outside universes is about to fall apart, and would have done so already had we not interacted previously. And we're here, in this Space Between Spaces, because it's the travel between our universes through this space, and the link that it's permanently given us, you and me, Delta Prime and Beta Prime, that has brought us together. You and I are together the only force that's stopping the entire fabric of reality from falling apart. The void is white because it is the sum of nothing, we are here because together we are something special. Alpha and Gamma might have also physically interacted, but judging by fact they're not here, it is highly probable that they didn't."

"This is all like some sort of dream."

"Yeah, man, it is. It's definitely surreal. All of normal time and space is, as I've said for lack of a better term, "frozen" outside this void. It's on the brink of collapse. And, because Mother and I had been preparing a countermeasure for these circumstances, I'll let you in on what we theorized could stop the calamity from actually happening."

"So, there is a way out of all this."

"Well, Mother's been right so far. She did predict I'd meet ya, Delta."

"Alright, shoot."

"Well, our matter and energy merely have to unite temporarily while we're in this void. Seems like a simple thing, right? And think about the beauty of why that happens to be the solution. You're smart, you know about the duality of nature, how, in almost every case, there's a "positive" and "negative," and if not that, then associated properties which come in pairs."

"Yeah, I know about that. Believe me, my mom taught me all about that."

"Good. Then check it out: uniting our matter and energy in real time and space caused some of the unnatural universes to have at least some commonality, right? It set down the condition to have our matter and energy flow from normal space-time to the Space Between Spaces at the brink of unparalleled disaster. Well, if we unite our matter and energy again, this time inside the Space Between Spaces, it will be a largely symmetrical event to one that occurred in real space-time. Because of the symmetry in our union here to the event in real space-time that set the foundation for reality to be saved, the very fabric of existence should recognize an intrinsic connection between the Space Between Spaces and real space-time that would make that fabric tolerate the unnatural universes without having all of space-time destroyed. It's amazing what good can come from a toddler's curiosity."

"So, when I was knocked out, why didn't you just tap me on the shoulder and get it over with?"

"Well, I was about to do just that, and then you started to wake up. Then, I decided, 'What the Hell; talking to another version of myself about all this probably would be kind of fun.'"

"It has been really cool, I must admit. Hey, why were we asleep when we got here?"

"Traveling here because of rarely seen properties of reality, I've deduced, can take a lot out of you. And I must have come here first and woken up first because, as I said, I came into existence before you did."

"All this learning about everything there is to know about everything is making me hungry."

"Yeah, I think if Gokus had come here instead of us they would have already been searching this place for whatever food they could get. Neither would have found any for hours, but they would have predictably kept on looking."

"You said it. And speaking of Goku, wow, you grew up in a world where he died of a heart virus?"

"Yep. The cold, remorseless future from where I come was exactly the reason why Mother and I decided to do all we could to save the past and create a new world where the horror of my timeline would not exist. In retrospect, even though Mother and I helped save the past, the past also helped me save the future, as I learned so much and became so much stronger for my own time that I was able to defeat the androids and keep on protecting the Earth. Unbeknownst to Mother and me at the time, the problems with that very ordeal in saving both worlds could have destroyed it all. But it looks like you and me, past and future, we came together to help save it all."

"Makes me feel like a real hero."

"Sometimes the greatest things come from simple things."

"You know, 'Future Boy', I like that name, by the way, better than the thing you've been calling yourself, 'Beta,' there's so much more I want to ask you and I don't know where to begin."

"As is the same with me for you, my comrade from across time. But I must tell you, before we continue, that there is a high likelihood neither of us will remember any of this once our matter and energy unite and we depart this void and return to our planes."

"And you're telling me this now?"

"Well, even if we don't remember it, we've had some fun. And the reason why we wouldn't remember it, if, indeed, Mother's prediction that we'll remember nothing comes true, is because all of this, all of the movement we've made here, is outside a Multiverse that's not moving. No universes are being created right now. Nothing is happening. It's as close to absolute nothingness as you can get without incurring the absolute itself. Everything out there now would be nothing had we not intervened. But we did, and we're here, and since nothing's happening out there, when we return, it may seem as if we were never here because with regard to normal space-time, because it's about to become unfrozen, the laws of physics will kick back in and they will dictate that we were never actually here, even though we both know right now we were."

"Weird. So, let me ask you, even though it may not matter. You got a girlfriend?"

"Yeah. We're getting closer as the days go by. She's awesome, and, for all I know, she doesn't even exist in your time."

"But the important thing is, she's there for you."

"Absolutely on target. And you, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Well, ever since Mom started training me to run Capsule Corp., things have gotten so busy that I don't even have time to train the way I used to like to anymore. It really stinks. Whether or not I remember any of this I'm going to go talk to her about lightening the load at least a little bit so I can resume some of that freedom I love. More time to be with girls is good time."

"And to think that had none of this inadvertent intervention happened, time for girls would have ceased to exist at all."

"I shudder to think."

"With that said, I think it's best we relieve the Multiverse from its greatest entropy and allow it all to continue."

"Yep. It's been real."

"And Trunks, it's been fun for me too."

"So, what do ya say, Future Boy, are ya ready?"

"As ready as eternity and expanse combined."

"Alrighty then; put er' there, pal."

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_Wowza!_

_It feels good to have finished a big one-shot just a little while after another update._

_Score one for writing._

_This work, by the way, was inspired by an idea that I have for the sequel project to Dragon Ball GT that I'm working on, Dragon Ball Planar Quest [DBPQ]. In accordance with that, this story can either be treated as a stand-alone, or as a part of the larger DBPQ universe._

_I hope you enjoyed this one, and I'm looking forward to writing more!_

_In fun and fanfiction,_

_- American Vigor -_

_(Completed March 9, 2009)_


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